Somebody Stole My Howdy Doody!

Somebody stole my Howdy Doody! Yep, they told me it was just lost with all the other things in a crate of household goods that were shipping to Germany back in 1973, but I am convinced somebody stole my Howdy Doody! It was just like the one on the “Howdy Doody” show. It was a real Marionette. I was only about eight or nine when my aunt bought it at a toy store in Madison, Tennessee. Of all the things we lost in the crate, that Marionette is what I remembered. Childhood memories are strong. Young minds are so very impressionable. I don’t know why, but that memory came flooding back today and it got me to thinking about other things and people that I remembered from my early childhood. I remembered the lady from “Ding Dong School” ringing that bell first thing in the morning as the program came on air. Then there was Kukla, Fran and Ollie. That Gator with only one big tooth. Who could forget Captain Kangaroo and his side kick Mr. Greenjeans. And of course that waskilly little hand puppet rabbit that was always playing tricks on him. Woody Woodpecker was one of my favorite cartoons. We have a huge red headed wood pecker on our place that I see at least once a week. I always think of Woody when I see him. When I don’t see him, you can hear him banging away on some tree near us. My first crush was on Annette Funicello from the Mickey Mouse Club. She spoke so personally to me (and millions of other little boys) through that show. What are some of your childhood memories?